Jason Blake's revival should perhaps be measured in feet rather than goals and assists. There is a direct correlation between his success and how close he plays to the opponent's net.

Jason Blake, who has regained his scoring touch, skates at Leafs practice on Monday (Feb. 2, 2009). Blake is driving to the net more this season.

By:Paul HunterSports Reporter, Published on Tue Feb 03 2009

Jason Blake's revival should perhaps be measured in feet rather than goals and assists. There is a direct correlation between his success and how close he plays to the opponent's net.

Mostly gone – some habits die hard – from Blake's game is the 60-foot wrist shot to the goalie's chest, replaced by an admirable willingness to drive hard to the blue paint with or without the puck.

As Blake has shifted his base of operations, playing that prickly game that gave him big numbers with the Islanders, his production has followed. Over the last seven games, the 35-year-old has seven goals and six assists for 13 points, a pace of almost two points a game that moves him into a tie with Nik Antropov for the team lead in points with 37.

"It's one thing I probably got away from last year. You can't look for the pretty and easy goal. Sometimes you've got to get in front of the net. You might get whacked but you might get rewarded also," said Blake yesterday.

"It's not fun. You're probably going to get hacked, whacked, cross-checked, punched. But you've to got to do it."

To say Blake lost his nerve last season would be unfair; you can't question the courage of someone who plays through a cancer scare. But his game did lose its edge after he arrived in Toronto as a free agent, something easily attributable to the diagnosis of treatable leukemia he received on the eve of the season.

"I had bad news last year and it weighed on my mind the whole year – every day," he said. "When you've got things in the back of your mind that are constantly wearing you down, it's tough to play."

Blake had 15 goals last season, a total he's already surpassed by scoring 17 so far this season. His said his medical situation has stabilized now and he said he has not even consulted with a cancer specialist in "a couple of months."

Two other factors assisted Blake's rejuvenation. He said he spent the summer mulling the importance of hockey in his life and decided that if he was going to continue playing, he'd "better do it at 100 per cent and not half (of that)." Blake also learned to counteract the weight loss and dead legs that were a side effect of his daily medication, a new approach that he says will remain private between he and his doctor.

There was also another ingredient in the mix that was more maniacal than medicinal. New coach Ron Wilson is constantly in his ear, reminding him that he has to get to the net not only to again be a legitimate scorer in the NHL but just to stay in the lineup.

"(Wilson) harps on me, `You've got to get there at all cost.' It's just what I've been trying to do lately," said Blake.

If Wilson's high-decibel pitch wasn't enough, the coach made sure his message hit home by sitting Blake for two games, one each in October and November when the winger got off to a slow start.

"I constantly got on his rear end about going to the net," said Wilson. "You sit a guy out, if I do that, he's going to get quality ice time the next game and opportunity to redeem himself and he's done a great job of that."

So if Blake came into this season motivated and with his lifestyle adjusted to his health concerns, why did it take him until early December to find his scoring touch?

The veteran doesn't really have an answer but part of it, he says, is attributable to the chemistry he has found with centre Dominic Moore. The two have a similar approach to the game: skate like heck and drive hard to the crease.

"A lot of it is not complicated: get pucks to the net and then be there, it's pretty simple stuff," said Moore.

Simple in theory but Blake is once again doing it.

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